Process for separating molybdenum from its ore



Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,562,125 PATENT omer.

WILLIAM a. rumour, orron'rmLL, IDAHO.

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No Drawing.

To all whom it ma'y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Rumour, a citizen of the United States, residing at Porthill," in the county of Boundary and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Separating Molybdenum from Its Ore, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tomeans for scpa. ratmg molybdenumirom its ores and the primary object'o'f the; invention is the prol vislon of a rim el, compound, which will, when the molybdenum bearing ore has been thoroughly ground up, efl'ectively divide the molybdenum from the ore and thus permit the easy separation of the molybdenum from the-ore and the refining thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel method utilizing the improved compound for separating the molybdenum from the ore, the improved method reducin -the cost and trouble of separating molybdenum from its ore to a minimum. a

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel composi- '.tion of ingredients, as will be now described' In preparing, the composition I prefer to use the composition in about the following proportions: 9.0 gallons of water," 10 gallons of kerosenefl: ounces "of soda, andl pound of lye. .The proportions of the ingredients relative to one another can be varied within certain limits; as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out according to the richness of the ;molybdenum in the ore being refined, and whether the water is hard or soft. If the ore is rich inmolybdenum I can use approximately 100 gallons of water to 1 gallon of kerosene, but'if the percentage of the molybdenum in the ore is very small I prefer to use 80 gallons of water to 20 gallons of kerosene. If the water used is hard I prefer to use one-half pound of soda and Application fil ed March 13, 1924. Serial No. 699,146.

ore, I prefer to use the followin method,

from which I found thebestres'u ts can be obtained. The ore containing the molybdenum 1s thoroughly ground and reduced to a powder by passing the same through any '1, preferred type of reducing mill. Theore is=preferably ground fine enough so that the same will pass through a or wire mesh screen. The ground-up ore is then usual way and the resultant mixtureor sl1me 1s passed through a series of vats so 'imixed with the water and agitated in the. I

that the slime -will settle to a certain extent.

To this slime -I add 2 gallons of improved compound or re-agent to every gallon of the slime and the mixture is laced suitable vat and thoroughly agltated, after which the same is left to stand for a small length of time so that dirt and the like can settle to the bottom". The oil,' i. e.,'the reagent, will float to the top carrying the molybdenum therewith and the oil and molybdenum are drawn offjust below the water line. The matter when drawncofl is passed through a filter and the re-agentwill seeptherethrough leaving the clean molyb-.

denum on the filter. The re-agent can then be returned to the vat and the mass again reagitated. This process is repeated two or three times until all of the molybdenum has been separated from the waste and other I metals contained in the ore.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally'simple means by which I can effectively separate molybdenum from its ore.

Changes in detail maybe made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention.

What I claim as new is: v p

The method of separating molybdenum from its ore consisting in reducing the ore --to a finemass, adding water to the mass to form a pulp, adding two gallons of a composition to every. one gallon of the pulp the composition being made in the following proportions: for every one hundred gallons, water ninety gallons, 'paratlin ten gallons, soda. four. ounces. lye one pound, then agitating the entire mixture, allowing the mixture to stand until the compound floats to the top thereof carrying the molybdenum therewith, and then. withdrawing the compound and molybdenum fromthe mixture.

In testimony WILLIAM H. j. RIDEOUT.

whereof I affix my signature. 

